Visit to the Nutritionist

Well, she calls herself a Bariatric Dietician. She's very nice.

I met with her today to 'fess up my eating sins and get some advice for getting back on track. She wanted to know what a normal day for me is like, eating-wise. I told her my current lifestyle includes 24oz (wow, didn't realize that!) of coffee with 2TB of sugar and coffeemate to taste (holy sugar) for breakfast. She told me coffee =/= breakfast! Bad girl.

I also told her about my current meal plan.. which isn't really a plan. I'm not really hungry until after 1:30 or 2:00pm. I have been going to Saladworks and creating a salad that is comprised of romaine mix, hardboiled eggs, tomatoes, breaded honey barbecue chicken, cucumbers, bacon bits, and full-fat ranch dressing. It sounds very high in calories, but according to the Saladworks website, my creation only costs about 350 calories. 22 grams of fat, but still. I've tried the low-fat salad dressings, but they make me very sick. Bad for the gut, let's just say.

I sometimes eat the roll afterwards. It takes about an hour to eat. I also get a 20oz fountain pepsi to go with, but I drink that at least 2-3 hours later. I also may have another can of coke in class, along with peanut m&ms I have in my bag. Horrible eating, just horrible.

A few times after my class lets out, I've gone to taco bell and ordered 2 chalupas and 1 taco supreme. I eat all of it. It takes an hour, but I eat all of it.

It sounds like a lot of food. That's because it is. It sounds terribly unhealthy. That's because it is.

What about water? No water. Zilch. Coffee and soda are my fluids. I know I'm horribly off-track.

So we came up with a plan.

• Eat breakfast. Even if all I can get down in the morning is a protein shake. I need to start to get my metabolism going so it goes all day. My bod has been in starvation mode due to the one or two large meals a day. Huh!
• Keep a food diary. Bring it with me to appointments.
• WATER! Crystal Light COUNTS!
• Aim for at least 64 grams of protein a day. I've been slacking.
• Try to eat meals that are around 1 cup of food. Salads can be a little more because the veg breaks down. But, one cup.
• Exercise for at least 15 minutes a day. Walk! Wii!
• Eat snacks when I'm hungry (or on a schedule - whatever we find works best for me)
• If I go to saladworks, no bacon, no breaded chicken. Grilled chicken and carrots for a more colorful salad. Also, split the salad into 2 meals (ask for dressing on the side so the second meal later doesn't get soggy)
• Smaller, more frequent meals instead of one or two big meals
• Replace the m&ms with something like the FiberOne bars that I love to eat. They really are quite tasty.
• Use a measuring cup to know what 1cup is
• Eat more tuna - I can safely have 2-3 servings a week
• If I want taco bell or some other meal at night, try a protein shake instead
• Eat more whole grains - oatmeal, whole grain crackers, whole wheat pasta w/veggies - all good stuff
• My plate should be comprised of 1/2 protein, 1/4 veg, 1/4 grains

I have work to do! I start journaling tomorrow. Baby steps...